Intercultural Interaction Competence (ICIC)

Abstract

Interaction between members of different cultural groups can be challenging in many different ways, as the experiential examples throughout this book illustrate. In Chapter 2 we explored the many different ways in which cultural groups can differ — values, orientations to life, beliefs, attitudes to time, communicative conventions and styles, and so on. Yet it is these elements that provide us with our reference and orientation system — a cockpit of instruments that guide our behaviour. So when we engage in intercultural interaction, we are faced with a range of challenges — our ‘instruments’ function less well or not at all, and in order to handle the uncertainties we face, we need to master sophisticated skills in managing ‘cultural complexity’ (Hannerz 1992).

Competence, like truth, beauty and contact lenses, is in the eye of the beholder.

Peter 1969: 43